A blog to help you optimize your full-body and life performance

If you have your eyes and ears on the CrossFit® scene at all, you’ve probably heard of the *big* changes that occurred to the competitive season over the past several months. It’s hard to miss the gripes and complaints coming from the internet on the drastic changes (which seemingly came out of nowhere) in the early fall, as they've left many athletes puzzled, confused, scared and maybe even a little angry. As with any change, growing pains are to be expected. But there are some things that athletes can do to smooth over the transition and set themselves up for success for the 2019 Games season.

CrossFit as a sport has seemingly exploded over the past several years and along with its rise in popularity has come an exponential increase in the level of competition. Athletes are always looking for the next best thing to give them that one percent edge over the rest of the field, and are oftentimes looking for supplements to tilt the scale in their favor. We are frequently asked about supplements; which ones to take, which are safe, and whether they really work?

Here we’ll dive into my list of go-to supplements. The complete list of supplements I use, we recommend, and which ones are worth (or are a waste of) your money.

Are you an athlete focused on functional fitness? If so, and you're anything like me, those feelings of being utterly drained after a WOD, collapsing on the floor, and not being able to walk the next morning are all too familiar. We've all been there.

But these feelings of exhaustion and muscle soreness aren’t simply signs of a good workout; they’re your body’s way of telling you that it’s in recovery mode. It’s repairing itself from strenuous activity and the inflammation that’s been caused by heavy squats, high rep pull-ups, or those sprint intervals you just crushed. The immune system and your body’s inflammatory response are vital pieces in your recovery, but if they aren’t kept on a leash, they can wreak havoc and cause severe problems.

Increasing muscle mass does more than just alter your physical appearance. It’s actually crucial for sustaining your health in the long term. Sufficient muscle mass helps you manage your weight, build and maintain strong bones, increase your metabolism, and keep you active as you age.

So, have we convinced you it’s time to add some lean mass? The InsideTracker platform has you covered when you choose “Gain Muscle” as your goal. But here, we’ve broken down the science to provide you with some top recommendations for achieving serious #gains.

We always hear Coach Glassman talk about prioritizing intensity over volume. After all, the more intense your workout, the higher stimulus your body will receive, and the greater physiological adaptation you'll see.

One of the best ways to increase your intensity is to improve your recovery from training. If you haven't recovered from your previous WOD (workout of the day), you won't be able to reach full intensity in your next one. Look at the Games: a major goal of the competitors is how recovered and “fresh” they can be going into the final day of competition. Often, it's this factor that sets the “Fittest on Earth” apart from the crowd.